Saturday, August 20, 2016

Durian Candy

Durian fruit is a common fruit in Southeast Asia. To people unfamiliar to it, it usually evokes feelings of utter disgust. One food writer said: “its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock.” You are not even allowed to bring this stuff in to hospitals or hotels in South East Asia. In Singapore, they have signs that forbid you from taking it on the public transport system (see here). That is how disgusting it is. So, it makes a lot of sense to make candy out of it. Not. But there you have it – someone has done it.

The durian (/ˈdjʊriən/)[4] is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio. The name "durian" is derived from the Malay-Indonesian languages word for duri or "spike", a reference to the numerous spike protuberances of the fruit, together with the noun-building suffix -an. There are 30 recognised Durio species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit, and over 300 named varieties in Thailand.[5] Durio zibethinus is the only species available in the international market: other species are sold only in their local regions. There are hundreds of durian cultivars; many consumers express preferences for specific cultivars, which fetch higher prices in the market.

Regarded by many people in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits",[6] the durian is distinctive for its large size, strong odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow as large as 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and it typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species.

The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour that is strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as having a pleasantly sweet fragrance; others find the aroma overpowering and revolting. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as rotten onions, turpentine, and raw sewage. The persistence of its odour, which may linger for several days, has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia.

The durian, native to Southeast Asia, has been known to the Western world for about 600 years. The nineteenth-century British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace described its flesh as "a rich custard highly flavoured with almonds". The flesh can be consumed at various stages of ripeness, and it is used to flavour a wide variety of savoury and sweet edibles in Southeast Asian cuisines. The seeds can also be eaten when cooked.

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Cebu Lechon

A secretly guarded recipe for many generations

Lechon is the Filipino version of the roasted pork and is a highly popular main dish during events and festivities. Especially sought for is the craving for the lechon's crispy skin and soft juicy flesh. But among many varieties, the Cebu lechon is tagged as the Philippines finest and probably the whole of Asia. It is so widely popular that even domestic airlines have accepted it as normal freight straight from the oven to various parts of the country. What makes the Cebu lechon distinct is the arousing flavor that the Cebuanos have carefully tendered for so many generations. Historically, the word lechon is literally leche, a Spanish word for milk. So called because young pigs that are not yet mature enough are cooked over low coal fire during colonial times. Thus, the colloquial for suckling pig among other popular terms. The first known recorded fact of such method was practiced by the tribes of Papua New Guinea, who hunted wild boars for offering and cooked them over deep pits of burning hot stones. Eventually, Spanish adventurists in the Pacific began to import the method back to Europe and its Spanish colonies like Puerto Rico, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. But the Filipinos actually inherited the method from its Chinese trading partners and eventually perfected the technique after World War 2, soaring into popularity by the 1980’s, a time of great political upheaval and celebration after the fall of the Marcos regime. It was during this decade that the Cebu lechon started to flourish and spread to all over parts of the country. It even gave way to festivities celebrating lechon as a tradition of rich cultural values like the Parade of Roasted Pigs in the Balayan Festival of Batangas, Philippines. But the original Cebu lechon recipe still remain the most popular to this day, still sought by Filipinos and foreigners alike. And here’s that original Cebu lechon recipe that everyone of us has been so eager to learn:
1 whole native pig (live weight 18 – 20 kilos)
salt and black pepper to taste
soy sauce
For the glaze:

First, shave hair follicles of the pig and remove the innards. Rinse the pig and make sure there’s no more lumps of blood inside the stomach.
Then rub the insides with salt and pepper including the body.
Rub a little soy sauce on the inside belly of the pig.
Stuff the belly with saba bananas, anise, green onion leaves, crushed garlic and laurel leaves.
Next, stack the lemon grass the center stomach, and stitched the belly, making sure that no ingredients slip out.
Skewer the pig with a mid-size bamboo and split roast over hot charcoal. Do not put the charcoal directly underneath the belly of the pig but over both sides, slowly churning the pig roast.
While slowly roasting the pig, glaze it from time to time with sprite using a sponge. This will make the skin extra crispy.
Roast for a couple of hours until the meat is tender. Do not overcooked.
The spices and the lemongrass makes the flavorful Cebu lechon aromatic aside from its rich succulent taste.

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Filipino Adobo

Tim Potter Sugar Land Texas

Adobo refers to a method of marinating and stewing any cut of meat or fish in a briny mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, and spices. This cooking method, like most of Filipino culture, is of mixed heritage. While not official, many consider Chicken Adobo to be the national dish of the Philippines.

There are many regional varieties of adobo, but most recipes include vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper. The meat is marinated then stewed in this mixture which yields a very flavorful, tangy, and tender meat. Adobo is usually served over a bed of fluffy rice to absorb the deliciously tangy sauce.

Filipino adobo should not be confused with the spicy Spanish adobo sauce. Although they both share the Spanish name, they are vastly different in flavor and ingredients.

History of Adobo

Like many cultures based in warm climates, Filipino natives developed various methods of preserving food. Adobo utilizes the acid in the vinegar and the high salt content of soy sauce to produce an undesirable environment for bacteria.

Its delicious flavor and preserving qualities served to increase adobo's popularity.

When the Spanish invaded and settled in the Philippines during the 16th century, they witnessed this traditional Filipino cooking method and called it adobo, which is the Spanish word for marinade.

Adobo Varieties

Meat: Although chicken adobo is the most well known, adobo can be made with pork, beef, fish, or other types of meat. Although not required, the meat is often fried after stewing to give it a crispy exterior.

Liquid: Vinegar and soy sauce are the heart of adobo but over the centuries, other liquids have occasionally been added to the brine. Some varieties include coconut milk, which mellows the strong flavors of the vinegar and soy sauce. Others include sugar or honey to add a touch of sweetness and an almost teriyaki like characteristic. The flavor of adobo can also be varied depending on the type of vinegar used.

Spices: Most basic adobo recipes are seasoned only with garlic, bay leaf, and black pepper. The peppercorns can be left whole or crushed for a more vibrant flavor. Additional seasonings may include ginger, onions, or other vegetables.

There are as many varieties of adobo as there are cooks in the Philippines. Although the country is small, the popularity and reach of adobo has spread throughout the world!

Friday, August 12, 2016

Fixing what a cyberstalker says

As I have said before I have have a cyberstalker. Never met this man nor have I have publicly or online said a word about him. Yet there he is. A jealous bitter older man in France that has nothing better to do then write things that are untrue. So if you are a victim of this here are a few pointers to help you through getting back what these people try and steal from you.

1) Create a blog and blog daily. It does not have to be much but content is important. When you get a blog find the keywords that are used by the stalker. Use those words in your blog. Additionally you want to set up your blog correctly. Google analytic Webmaster tools, Site Map, and share on social media. Twitter, Facebook, Google+. These help promote your site. If you look to the left you will see all the social media I created just to offset any of the Google terms.

2) Social media is a powerful tool. Search engines spend a great deal of time there. As they are constantly updating. So you want get out that you are blogging to social media.

3) Contact the owner of the site to remove the content. This may work in some cases but chances are it will not work. He posted it and normally are vindictive so chances are almost zero for removal.

4) Contact the search engine provider if the above fails. Now Google and other search engines will not just remove the content because it is negative. You must have a valid reason to have the content removed. Personal information, Your name to an adult site, Copyright infringement. Looking at copyright infringement reporting this to Google or Chilling Effects is not even a guarantee even if you do own it. You must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it is yours. There are procedures you must follow and it has to be in a certain format for Google to consider it. Do not give up just keep hitting the search engine with a complaint.

5) Create a Google alert for your name. Thus you will see when data is indexed by Google and when these items appear in the search engine. It will keep you abreast of what is being said.

6) Lock down your personal information. Go to your social media and lock down who can see what and everything they can see. Do not accept friend requests from people you do not know. Otherwise your pictures and information about you will appear online.

7) Do not ever click the links that are a result of the search engine. This will help boost the relevancy of the post against you.

8) Last thing is it takes time to move the needle in the search engines. You should own the first few pages of the search results. Most people do not go past the 30 result entries. So you must keep on blogging and increasing your presence on line. Once you have done this the negative entries slowly disappear or get buried.

About Me

Zol and I lived in the Philippines for 6 years as a married couple and had two spectacular children. Life changes and events change so we have since moved back to the USA. My website chronicles our ventures living both here and in the Philippines.